Coffee Capers
by Beth6787
Summary: Kes helps Chakotay come up with the perfect Valentine's Day present for Kathryn.


Beth6787

10 February y

Coffee Capers

Kes helps Chakotay come up with the perfect Valentine's present for Kathryn.

Kes watched the Commander with a knowing look in her eye. He had been pacing up and down the hydroponics bay racking for the last hour trying to make up his mind which rose to present to the Captain this evening. At their 'working' dinner : which also happened to be February 14th on the old Earth calendar.

This was, Kes knew, a special date for humans to make romantic gestures. As Neelix had recently taken on the dual mantle of Chief Cook and Morale Officer she had made it her duty to know these things. She wanted to help with both roles and her psychic abilities combined with her natural aptitude for both medicine and botany made her the ideal all round assistant.

'So Commander, will it be the new pink or peach hybrid? They both have a subtle citrus fragrance once the buds being to unfurl."

Chakotay had hold of one cut rose of each type in his right hand and was twirling them about. "I'm not sure Kes. They are both lovely but perhaps a little risqué. Maybe I had better stick to brewing the Captain her favourite coffee : though that's hardly very original."

As Chakotay had been talking an idea was forming in her mind...Yes, with the Doctor's help she was confident that she could pull it off. Though she would have her work cut out to do it by 2000 hours tonight, when Chakotay was due to arrive at the Captain's quarters. She grinned at the Commander "What would you say to doing both?"

Chakotay just looked confused until Kes came and whispered her idea in his ear. Then he looked incredulous and hopeful all at the same time.

—

1955 hours Captain's quarters...

Chakotay stood outside the door trying to pluck up the courage to chime his arrival. He was holding a flowerpot containing a dwarf rose in a deep burnt orange/ochre colour. It was most unusual to look at and held other unique properties too.

Kes's idea had been inspired, and the Doctor had kindly spent the afternoon assisting her with stabilising the genetics and then getting this prototype to mature enough to flower and have a few rose hips forming. He looked around quickly, not wanting to be spotted by any of the crew carrying a floral gift for what was - officially at least - a business dinner. Besides, they had only been back from New Earth for a couple of weeks, so Tom Paris was still stirring the rumour mill he was sure. No need to be seen adding fuel to the fire.

He pressed the chime and the door immediately slid open. Chakotay hurried inside and swiftly shut the door behind him. Kathryn still had her back to him, busy finishing laying the dinner table. Just do it man! he chastised himself and before he had time to lose his nerve completely, he placed the small rose bush in the centre of the table. "Happy Valentine's Day, Kathryn."

She froze and cautiously glanced up. With a small inward sigh of relief she noted that it was at least a pot plant and not a floral bouquet. Almost as if Chakotay could sense her discomfort he hastened to add "That is not just any old rose bush Kathryn. Note it's scent."

Curious now, she bent forward and took a discreet sniff. The aroma of coffee filled her nostrils and senses. Her face broke into a grin and she turned around to face him. "Coffee. Columbian Blend no. 4, if I'm not mistaken. How did you pull this off Chakotay?"

"With a lot of help from a couple of good friends who wish to remain nameless. But it gets better. Shall we have a coffee whilst we wait for the replicator to finish preparing our meal?"

"Great minds think alike Commander. But I'm afraid the replicator is at full capacity just now so we will have to wait for the meal to finish cooking first."

Chakotay grinned to himself, he was going to enjoy this. "Then it's just as well you have my Maquis quick thinking to save the day." With a flourish he produced a large thermos flask from behind his back. "Just boiled water. Now all we need to add is the coffee."

Kathryn was looking flummoxed. Without the replicator free she wouldn't be able to generate the coffee grounds either. She watched Chakotay pour the boiling water into two tankards then he enquired "Full strength or subtle flavour?". Before waiting for her answer he piped up "Silly question. I will prepare a full flavour for you and a lightweight coffee for myself."

With that he removed one flower and started to peel away the petals until they were all in the left hand tankard. He gave it a stir then returned to the rose bush. This time he took a rose hip and crushed it between his thumb and forefinger. Gently shaking the seeds into the second tankard which he again stirred. "Now we just have to wait about ninety seconds...and voila!" He handed the tankard with the rose hip seeds in to Kathryn and the one with the petals he took himself.

It smelled divine and on taking a sip her senses were overwhelmed with the most authentic coffee experience she had ever known. Not a replicator in sight!

"I suppose it's officially rose petal or rose hip tea although this plant has been engineered to produce the same compounds in it's petals and seeds as those found in a coffee bean. So now you'll have the real McCoy to hand whenever we are reduced to running in grey mode. All you need add is some hot water."

She had been about to admonish him for an 'inappropriate' romantic gift but...this was not a bunch of roses, it was coffee! The ultimate essential nutrient for any Captain worth her salt.

"Chakotay, you are a genius and you never cease to surprise me." And just this once, she would give him an 'inappropriate' thank you. It was February 14th after all.

She sidled up to him with as neutral an expression as she could muster and just as the poor man looked as though he was going to bolt for the door she wrapped her arms around his neck and conveyed her thanks in a way he had been hoping for ever since he had told her the "Angry Warrior Tale".

THE END

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